News

City's Bicycle Survey a Success

Monday, April 28, 2008
Category: City

 

The City of Wilson Bicycle Survey has been an overwhelming success. Beginning in February 2008, City staff distributed the survey to City parks, recreation centers, and at neighborhood association meetings, City committee meetings, and other venues as part of an effort to gather public input for the Wilson’s first Bicycle Plan, currently underway. The survey could also be completed online through a link on the City’s website. When the survey finished less than two months later, the City had received over 500 respondents, which included 270 online and 238 paper surveys. Respondents represented a broad cross-section of the neighborhoods in Wilson, and residents of all ages and both genders.

 

 

The survey gathered information about respondents’ bicycling preferences such as where and when they like to ride, as well as their hopes for the future of bicycling in Wilson. Although most respondents appeared to be recreational cyclists, approximately 15 percent of respondents reported that they ride their bicycle to work, and 15 percent of respondents ride their bicycles more than five times a week. Almost 70 percent of respondents indicated that they would like to be able to ride a bicycle more often.

 

The results of the survey indicate resounding support for the City to implement improvements that would make Wilson more bicycle-friendly. In particular, over 70 percent of respondents felt the City should build more bike lanes and over 65 percent felt the City should build more greenways. Roads that many respondents indicated needed bicycle improvements included: Airport Boulevard, Forest Hills Road, Goldsboro Street, Herring Avenue, Lake Wilson Road, London Church Road, Nash Street, and Tilghman Road.

 

The City is already taking action to make bicycle-related improvements with its work on the Bicycle Plan, which will provide recommendations for priority on-road and off-road bicycle projects. Beyond projects, recommendations in the Plan will also outline programs and policies that address bicycle safety education and awareness needs. For example, one of the recommendations will be a program designed to address low bicycle helmet use in Wilson. Nearly half of survey respondents indicated that they do not wear a helmet when riding, and many do not wear one because they do not own one.

 

The City will present a draft of the Plan for public review and comment in early summer 2008. For more information, Wilson citizens can visit the Plan’s webpage on the City’s website:  http://www.wilsonnc.org/departments/developmentservices/plansandordinances/bicyclecomprehensiveplan/

Citizens can also contact the City’s Project Manager: Denise Boswell, Ph.D. Senior Planner,                                                                                   City of Wilson Planning and Development  Services

PO Box 10

Wilson, NC 27894

252-399-2214 (t)

252-399-2233 (f)

dboswell@wilsonnc.org